Everyone gathered around the patient dons his or her protective glasses...

Byline: Elizabeth Suh

Mar. 28--Everyone gathered around the patient dons his or her protective glasses as the doctor aims the laser beam into the patient's mouth.

Tommie Snider, the patient, has long been a self-proclaimed dentist-hater, but it's "no sweat" as Dr. Mark Perko etches away at his teeth with a laser and covers the pockets above them with a pearly filling.

The procedure is fast, painless and safe -- the safety glasses are just a precaution, Perko reassures those in the room. For more than two years now, the South Akron dentist has used a laser to etch, cut and clean teeth with minimal use of drills and anesthetics. Perko uses a laser called Waterlase that emits a stream of water and a laser beam that energizes the …